Unseen Love
by Tranquillity984
Summary: a Jared and Kim story. Kim has pretty much stalked Jared due to her overwhelming crush, while Jared never realized it. She goes through life as feeling as no one really sees her. Possible Rating change in future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

_The slow, timely music dance around Kimberly as she stood in a full-length mirror. Her hair had been brushed into a glossy shine that was twisted and wrapped to lay upon her head in an elegant fashion. A thin-netted veil with flowers weaved in its clip laid against her bare back. The dress she wore was bright white with pearls cascading down the bell shaped skirt in a graceful loop arrangement._

_Kim beamed at the mirror image of the lovely girl and like a child, she spun around, allowing the hoop skirt to swirl around her legs to reveal her satin shoes within a low mist of vapour. Today her dream was coming true and she could not be happier at that very moment._

_"Kimmy. It is time, doll." A husky voice whispered behind her. She turn, once more letting the skirt dance at her ankles, a smile beaming as she hooked her arm around her fathers._

_With threaten tears swimming in his eyes, her father place a gentle hand over his daughters. "Are you sure? It is never too late to back out."_

_"I am sure, Daddy." Kim could not shake the smile off her face. She doubted the future would ever see a frown placed on her face again. "I have never been surer then I am today."_

_Her father could only nod his head, as he did not trust his own voice. He proceeded to walk her down the hall garnish with her family and friends with slow measured steps._

_She stared straight ahead and only focused on her beloved, Jared Strom. He stood before her in black and white, tall, strong, proud and a smile to match her own. His friends stood beside him with their own smiles as they waited for her to reach the altar._

_Once her father passed her to Jared, who quickly took her arm, they turned to recite their vows that would place them together for a lifetime._

_The start of the ceremony was a dull thought, as she looked into Jared's chocolate eyes. She wanted to remember this day, to repeat it time after time and not forget the way Jared looked at her this very moment._

_Jared carefully turned her hand in his so that her palm faced the ground. His eyes studied her hand as he focused on his vow. "I take you, Kimberly Hatch to be my lawfully wedded wife. Before these witnesses, I vow to love you and care for you as long as we both shall live. I take you, with all your faults and I…." He pulled his eyes from her hand to her face. "I cannot go through with this."_

_Kim smiled flicked slowly as her eyebrows etch together. "What?" She spoke with a whisper and confusion._

_"I can't do this." Jared said once again with more force. "Look at you." He took a step back. "I can't marry you when you look the way you do."_

_Kim looked down at her now faded, dull, mousy brown dress. She shook her head to clear it. "No." Her voiced echoed her confusion. She took a stepped closer to Jared with her arm out to touch him, disbelief showing on her face. A mist of fog danced at her feet, growing but she ignored it. "I-I don't understand."_

_Jared laughed sarcastically as he took a step back from her again, brushing her arms from his own coldly. "What don't you understand?" Jared took a moment to look over his shoulders at his friends, who shared the same exact smile. "I am me and you…well, you are a nobody."_

_"I told you he wouldn't go through with it." Becky, who suddenly appeared out of the mist to stand next to Kimberly, spoke with an edge of smug in her voice. Her long dress hugged her well endowed chest and slim hips. "Look at you. There is nothing special about you. You are too plain to even be considered ugly. No one will ever remember you." Becky sneered as she seducible floated next to Jared, wrapping her arm and body around his. "You should rethink of changing your name to Kim Who."_

_The laughter of her guest rose from behind her and as she swirled around, she saw empty chairs. There was no one there after all._

_"One must face who they are or who they are not. In time, you will get use to it." A solemn voice spoke behind her._

_With confusion, Kim turned back to face what had been the alter. Now a coffin lay open upon the small raised floor and a single person dressed in black stood beside it, his face bowed as he looked down at the lifeless girl within the casket. "Some paths have no directions but one. That is your path. You will live a life of solitude." He turned to acknowledge her presence. "Look around you. Even after death, there will be no one to remember you. You will die the way you have lived, as a nobody anybody would never remember." He took a step down from the small platform. "Your life has no meaning other then the space you are taking up. The air runs through you with no course of direction. The blood that pumps through your veins will never blend with offspring of your own making. You will grow old and you will forever be alone."_

_Kimberly backed away from the man; her eyes darted towards the coffin. "No." She shook her head. "You are lying. He loves me!"_

_"You are delusional, Mouse." The man in black grinned but spoke to her as one would a child. "He loves you no more today then the first day you seen him. He will never love you. No one will."_

_"That isn't true!" Kim vision began to blur as her eyes watered._

_"It is. It is but the sad, awful truth." The man titled his head. "Perhaps you should start living in the world of truth instead of this world of make believe, it will be easier for you. Accept it."_

_"Shut-up!" Kim screamed at him before turning away, her eyes darting around in a room that quickly filled up with rolling fog. "Jared!" As she called out his name, she quickened her steps that caused the fog to flow in an up swept breeze. "Jared!" She called out again._

_"Stop fooling yourself, girl!" The voice echoed behind her once more. "Wake up and stop dreaming!"_

_"No! Leave me alone!" Kimberly felt her heart thudding as cold hands dug into her shoulders. She quickly turned to fight the person._

"Kimberly!"

As she blinked back the morning light, the blurriness started to focus. "Kimberly." The voice was gentler now as her father looked down at her. "Your mother had been trying to wake you up for half an hour."

"Dad?" Kim blinked up at him before glancing at the clock radio resting on the nightstand.

"You even slept through your alarm." He rubbed her shoulder endearing before rising from her bed. "You might want to consider skipping breakfast or you will be late for school." He spoke to her as he stepped out of her bedroom, his voice volume turn up for her to hear him. "If you hurry to dress, I can drop you off at school - but you do need to hurry."

* * *

Kim placed her textbook inside her locker but her eyes were locked to a small crowd outside of her next class that was diagonally across from where she stood. She realized many years ago that the small tribal village had it's own social steps just as any other school and she was not consider part of the crowd that stood near the entrance of Quileute Nation's Biology. This was an extremely small school with approximately one hundred students in its kindergarten through twelfth grade facility. Everyone knew everyone, unless you happen to be a nobody. Kim was the nobody. She sighed as she took her book from her locker and as silently as she could, she shut the locker. She had known Jared since they were in kindergarten. She knew everything about him, as he was her obsession. True that some might think it was unhealthy but every girl has her fantasy and for Kim, that was Jared. She cringed as she heard Becky's flirtatious laughter rise above the small group.

As on cue, Becky flashed a meaningless glance in Kim's direction. It was not always that way; there was a time when Kim was a someone. Someone that was a best friend to someone like Becky but that was before boys actually played a more meaningful part in their lives. Of course, Becky knew that Kim had a mild crush on Jared back when they were skipping rope and playing Barbie dolls. Then puberty hit with avenges and Becky morphed into a well-curved figure of a girl that was able to capture the attention of many of the boys, including Jared. It was not long into sixth grade that Becky decided that she was better off with out Kimberly as she embraced the more popular friendship of the tribal students.

Now they stood face to face. Strangers in a world they shared, a past they created and a broken glass of friendship they carefully walked above. Kimberly took a mousy step towards the crowd. She hitched her shoulders up to make herself small as possible in order to get between the bodies of her fellow classmates just so she could get into the classroom itself.

"Excuse me." She said meekly. The teens stepped mindlessly aside slightly to let her through but at the same time, not really acknowledging her existence.

Kim quickly found her seat next to Michelle, who promptly gave her a smile. "Ready for our trip?" Michelle asked, speaking of their field trip to La Push's beach for their marine study in biology.

Kim smiled and nodded her head. "A trip to the beach instead of being in school, how can one not be?"

"True. We should be leaving after roll-call." Michele politely smiled lightly and turned to speak with another student. Kim's smile faded with the silent she now had to endure alone. Michelle was a likeable student, a friend to all but not a close friend to Kimberly. She was the senior class president was well as chief editorial of _The Killer Whale_, the Quileute's School Newspaper. In truth, Kim had no friends. No one she could really lean on, to voice her thoughts and feelings. It was why she was so punctual to write in her diary every night. To get those thoughts out onto pages so they no longer lingered within her. To share her dreams, even if it was shared with an empty page.

The crowd outside hustled in, followed by their teacher, Mr. Sanders. "Hach chii. Ayasocha xaxiktiya?" He spoke as he walked towards his desk. Setting his briefcase on top of the smooth surface of the table, he stared at his small class and waited. Students quickly slid into their seats just seconds before a strangler waltzed into the room. "Vince?" Mr. Sanders called to the boy who rushed passed him, late.

"Uh." Vince found his seat and placed his book on top of his own desk. "I'm fine." He spoke with a smile that unsuccessfully struggled to stay hidden.

"Try answering in our Quileute language." Mr. Sanders walked towards the middle of the room.

"Oh." Vince cleared his throat and made a wincing facial expression. "Um, Yapotalli."

"You are feeling tired? Perhaps you should go to bed earlier then. You might be on time for class." As Mr. Sanders started to drone into his subject and what kind of behaviour he expected of them as they went to the beachfront that morning. Kim began to trance out of his voice's grip by scribbling Jared's name on the inside of her notebook. She adored his name with little hearts and arrows. Roses sometimes made an appearance with its thorny stem wrapping around his name and her own name.

* * *

Author's Note:

So on researching the Quileute, I found out that there is truly close to 100 students from K-12th grade. _The Killer Whale _is an actual school paper ran in the Quileute school. Though I could not get the proper symbols to appear these words are true Quileute words:

Hach chii (hah-ch chee-EH) Good Morning

Ayasocha xaxiktiya (uh-YAH-so-CHUH hah-HECK-tee-yuh) How are you today?

Yapotalli (yah-po-tahl-lee) I'm tired.


	2. Still Dreaming

Author's Note: Sorry for those who had read this and marked it for updates. You might be wonding why you received a notification on a chapter you just read. Below is a revised chapter, I had rushed the first one and was displeased with it.

* * *

Wild animals had taken over the souls of the students on bus twenty-four. The bus driver was very laid back, perhaps too laid back as he allowed more excitement to accrue then other drivers would had permit. Two of the students, one sitting in the front of the bus and another in the back of the bus, had brought in plastic toy squirt guns that resulted in a show down every time the bus had stopped for traffic signs. Once the bus rolled on, the boys placed the guns aside but that did not stop the paper wads from flying around in the air or the loud music played by students in the back of the bus nor did it stop the yelling and laughter. Who could really blame the students for their hyperactive behaviour? After all, they were heading from school to a beach, which is as good as it got for some students.

The teacher assigned seats on the bus before the students stampeded out of class. It was a relief on Kim's part that her seat buddy had already been assign. She hated to be the last one standing but to the others students, the ones that had friends, it was not such a hot idea. Those people groaned and complained to the teacher as they begged for the allowance of switching bus partners. It was useless pleading, as the teacher did not sway. In all actuality, their teacher seemed to be enjoying the power of not giving into the students.

Kim was stuck with one of the regular boys who surfed the beach frequently and who happen to ignore Kim completely. He did not even grace her with a smile as he sat in his assigned seat. He kept his body turned towards the aisle; Kim doubted his legs could fit in the seat at any rate. He also had a habit of yelling at the back of the bus to one of his friends, who of course would holler back to him. That was fine with Kim; she had nothing of interest to say to him on their small bus journey. Instead, she was content on leaning her head against the window where, through the space between the window and the corner of the seats in front of her, she could see Jared who sat a few seats up from her own seat. She could watch him all she wanted and no one would notice. Not even Becky who sat somewhere behind her, which pleased Kim more since she was not sitting anywhere near Jared.

Kim knew everything about Jared. She knew his height, his weight, his middle name, his address, his phone number, his favourite food, his favourite car, his favourite band, favourite colour, even his shoe size. After investigating his mother's clothesline, she even knew the size of all this clothing, down to his briefs and boxers. She had it all written down in her diary, though she doubted she would ever forget them.

For that reason, Kim probably noticed his growth spurt before the other students did. However, his inches were hard to ignore as he started to rise above the other boys in their school.

Kim did her own research for male growth spurt and found the typical male grew five inches more in a year during growth stage. Jared did that in a less then a month time and he was young yet. There was still time for more growing. It had caused her to worry slightly but she could not ignore that he looked healthy. His shoulders seemed to broaden with his growing height and muscles seem to be straining against his shirt that caused Kim to sigh dreamily as she tried to picture the way he may feel against her fingers.

Since her experience with the opposite sex was nonexistent, she relied on her mother's discard Romance Novels. Though the story lines seemed redundant and far-fetched, it was Kim's only means in knowing how a male body might feel like. Often she would self-insert herself and Jared into one of the stories as she drifted off in a far away world...

_The only light came from a candle resting against her side of the bed. She sat on the bed's edge with a book open on her lap. Though a party was still being held below her in the ballroom, Kim had given a convincing excuse of a considerable and excruciating headache that allowed her to escape the guest. _

_The book is what led her back up stairs; she simple could not get the book out of her head. She was dying to know how it ended and so absorbed in the pages, Kim never notice the door softly opening as her husband stepped inside. _

_He had been concern in learning of her departure from the party and came upstairs to check on condition. Relived and mildly amused, Jared found her reading by candle light. _

_The soft glow shed a warm and inviting light to her skin. Her hair still up in a fashionable style, weaved with pearls and a dress as bright as the sun still belling around her legs, Kim was nowhere near sleep. _

_Jared smiled to himself as he slowly made his way to the bed, stopping in front of her. He reached out, cupping her chin gently to raise her head to him. _

_Kim let a small gasp of surprise as Jared touched her face. She slowly brought her head from the book to look at her husband, pausing at the bulge straining against his pants. She felt her cheeks warm with a blush as she raised her eyes further to stare into his warm brown gaze. _

"_Jared, I wanted to…" She never finished her request to finish the story as she felt his lips against her own, pleading for more then just a kiss. His strong hands slid from her shoulders down the length of her bare arms and back up again. He gently placed pressure on her shoulders to carefully push her backwards onto the mattress. _

_He lips were covering hers with urgently while his hands skimmed over her blouse, trying to find a way to get to her warm naked flesh. _

_Jared let a groan escape from his lips, cursing softly in frustration as he moved away from her. _

_She reached up towards him, stroking his powerful arms and gasped aloud as she felt her shirt buttons pop. Then Jared was back in her arms, his lips tracing down her neck, over her collarbone. Kim arched upwards slightly as she ran her hands through her husband's hair, tugging slight for his kisses to move lower. She felt his familiar smile widen against her bare flesh and she moaned in frustration. "Stop teasing." She whispered, pulling at his locks. _

The bus slowed to a stop jolting Kim out of another daydreaming experience and into the world of reality. She blinked back her vision as students began to shuffle out of the bus and onto the beach, where they formed a horseshoe circle around the teacher.

"I want you to find natural habitats around the beach. Describe where you found them, what could or is leaving there. I also expect a list of ways you see beach erosion happening now. How will it affect the future of the beach and at what rate is the erosion occurring." He then smacked his hands together to dismiss them. "Everyone is to meet back here at eleven thirty or no lunch! Stay out of the woods!" He yelled as the boys of the group tore down to the ocean's edge.

Kim pulled out her camera, as did Michelle, to take some pictures. Kim knew Michelle was doing it for yearbook and the school's paper but Kim; she was doing it for her scrapbook of Jared. She had taken pictures of him over the years, noticing how he aged from a child to a teen and now it looked as though he was starting to wear his adult body while others were stuck in their teen amour.

She smiled as she caught a picture of him in front of a perfect rolling wave and the sun at his back as he faced her, well maybe not her. Maybe he was facing his friends but with the zoom lens, it looked as he was facing her. Smiling just for her. His hand waving in the air, that was for her too. Then he swept Becky up off her feet, spinning her around as he threatened to toss her into the ocean. Becky of course was screaming with mock terror but Kim was sure the other girl felt secure in Jared's embrace.

Kim sighed depressingly as she pulled the camera from her eye to delete the accidental shot of Becky in Jared's arm. Satisfied that the image no longer existed, Kim brought the camera back up to her face but her model had disappeared.

With a frown, she brought the small camera down once more as her eyes darted across the students, trying to pick out Jared's tall frame from the other boys. Briefly, she glanced up at the sun and though it had moved slightly, it did show time was nearing lunch. Plus, there were too many boys still out on the beach. If food were to be served soon, Kim was sure the boys were first to disappear.

Kim turned slowly around in her little spot of the beach, trying to locate her obsession. With a grateful sigh of relief, she spotted him moving towards the woods. The students were not supposed to go in the woods, not after what had happen to Emily when she encountered a bear. Still, that did not stop the boys who felt that chugging up towards one of the half shack of a bathroom was more bothersome then trending into the woods to find a tree.

Kim smiled devilish and she shook her head no, saying to herself "I cannot do that." Yet, her feet seem to be doing their own thing as they lead her in the path of evilness.

It was only a few seconds later that Kim found herself in the woods trailing after Jared, keeping a watchful eye on his white shirt as she swatted away flying insect assaults. Only a few times had she lost sight of him as she tripped over tree roots and wild vines.

She only stopped when she noticed that he had stepped up to a tree. His head swirled around, trying to see if he was in the clear no doubt, but Kim ducked behind a tree and lowered herself to the ground to peer through some of the underbrush.

She put the camera to her eye, shooting partly blind, as she did not want him to notice her hiding spot. When Jared started to head towards the beach, then did she stop clicking the camera's trigger. She remained in her spot quietly as Jared trailed passed her, never noticing her.

Deciding to wait in her spot as Jared moved further away from her, Kim flipped the camera around to see how the pictures looked. She found the picture of him seating on a fallen tree with the woods behind his back. It was a nice picture, she thought to herself. She slowly turned around, still low to the ground and still viewing the camera when a blast of hot air rushed against her face. She froze, feeling her heart race. Slowly she raised her eyes, expecting to see a giant grizzle bear but instead she stared into the eyes of an enormous black wolf only inch away from her face.

She fell back on her rump, screaming as she crawled backwards trying to get a distance between the wolf and herself but not managing to find solid ground for her feet.

The wolf remained, watching her but still it was far too close for Kim. "Get!" She screamed and it snarled at her. She felt tears flowing down her cheek and her arms began to shake as her feet continue to scramble against the pine needle flooring.

Kim felt her arm being attacked by thorns as she scurried through a wild prickly bush but she kept moving and screaming. She even gave her camera a toss at the wolf's face, missing it completely. Kim could hear voices coming to her rescue from the beach. Each second those voices grew closer and closer. She heard someone ask who was in the woods, which student was missing but no one said her name.

The massive wolf looked over his shoulder towards the beach and then once back at Kim before it slowly headed away from her, further into the forest. By the time her rescue got to her, the wolf was gone.

"Honey." One of the female chaperones, Anna might have been her name, knelt down beside her, letting Kim cry against her shoulder. "What is it?"

"She probably saw a spider." One of the boys snickered.

"W-wolf." Kim managed to whisper. "H-huge wolf."

The students grew quite, all remembering the wild bear story involving Emily. They looked around nervously, knowing wolves lived in a pack, could there be more then just one out there.

"Get her to the bus." Another chaperone yelled at the students that started to circle Kim. "All of you back to the beach!"

Kim took a moment to scoop up her camera before Anna led her back down to the beach area. She turned slightly to see Jared standing in an open sunlight area of the woods. He was staring in the direction the wolf had went with a frown on his face. In the distance, a howling of a wolf could be heard. Kim doubted it was the one she had seen, it was too far away. Wasn't it?

Jared had taken a step towards the howl but stopped with a puzzle look on his handsome face. He felt compelled to follow the howl but unable to understand why.

* * *

Later that night, Kim sat in her room with her camera plugged into her computer going over the pictures. She had to admit that the scenery enhanced her images of Jared. She enlarged the picture she had taken during lunch, after the wolf experience. He sat on one of the fire camp logs, the sun slightly casting its ray of light upon him from over head. The ocean carelessly lolled a wave inland in a peaceful manner. In the picture, it looked as he was staring directly at her. His perfect teeth flashing as he gave the camera a dimpled smile.

There was another photo image of Jared with out his shirt on. A few of the girls were able to throw cups of water on some of the boys, who then took off their shirts to dry in the sun. Though it was chilly and the other boys seem to be manly fighting off the chills, Jared looked comfortable. She smiled as she scrolled the image downwards, slowly over his face, his neck, his shoulder, his chest, his muscled stomach and then the photo was cut off. Still it was one of her best scrapbook worthy pictures. She turned towards the next picture; it was with Jared in the woods. To her disappointment, the picture had not turned out how she had wanted it. Of course, one could clearly see that he probably was watering the tree naturally but no other delightful images could be clearly seen.

The perverted Kim sighed in despair but it was short lasted as she printed the pictures off and turned her attention towards her diary. She wrote briefly about the wolf and she was clear on the height of the wolf though she did not tell anyone else. Who would have believed her that the size of the black wolf could be compared to a horse! It was best that they just thought it was a large alpha wolf in the area. Someone else can spot it and say state on its size. Let them be the weird one after all, wasn't it enough that Kim was the invisible one?

"Kim, dinner!" She heard her mother call from below. She slipped her diary behind some books on a shelf and gave a blown up picture of Jared a quick kiss on the lips before leaving her room.


	3. Going Home

The left over excitement from the trip still carried into the classroom the following day and it proved to be a challenge to get inside the room for some people. Not for Kim, as she always seem to be able to make herself smaller and invisible. She was able to slip pass the group of teens hanging outside the room unnoticed and with out trouble.

She settled into her chair and opened her notebook to doodle more hearts until the teacher arrived but a tap on her shoulder caused her to turn in her seat.

"Good-morning." Michelle smiled brightly at her. "I totally forgot to talk to you after what happen, you know with the wolf and getting lost in the woods."

Kim was not at all surprised that Michelle had been forgotten her, even though she probably had caused the most exciting thing that day. "I-I wasn't lost. I know my way around the forest really well. My father use to take me camping all the time when I was little."

Now days, he did not have time to camp with Kim. Not with work being so demanding and Kim could not bare to make him feel guilty as he worked so hard to support her, her little sister and mother.

"Oh, I thought that was why you were alone in the woods." Michelle shook her head, "Anyways, I was wondering if I could get a brief interview with you for the Killer Whale after school. Of course, it wouldn't be in this week's article with the beach trip because of my slip up but I might have room for it in the following newsletter."

"I-I don't know." Kim brought her hand up to her hair, twisting it around nervously. She was not use to being in the spot light and for that, she was not sure she wanted it. The whole idea made her uncomfortable.

"Pretty please." Michelle begged. "I'm dying here. We do not have any good news for the next news piece yet and if we do not get one; we will need to fall back on a previous article. Though I doubt anyone would remember it but still, there is the principal behind it."

Kim sighed and closed her eyes briefly, hating the approval word on her lips that were already forming. What could she do? She had a problem of saying no when it could help someone else out. "Okay." She spoke softly, secretly hoping that Michelle did not hear her.

Michelle squealed in delight as she placed a hand on Kim's shoulder. "Thank you! You are a life saver!"

"But there isn't much to tell, it all happened quite fast." Kim opened her eyes but Michelle had already turned her back on Kim in order to speak to someone else.

Quietly and unnoticeably, Kim turned around in her seat while the feeling of being alone once more crept up on her. She was about to place her head down on the desk with her chin upon her hand when the teacher walked in, handing out a stack of papers as he walked passed the first row of students.

"Quiz." He spoke to them as he found a standing spot in the middle of the classroom. "On yesterday's trip. All the answers were things that you could visually see at the beach. Good luck." He turned to his desk as the students passed the quizzes to the person behind them. "Remember no talking. This is not a group quiz."

"Do we ever get a group quiz?" Brad asked from the window side of the room.

"I will consider it." Mr. Sanders smiled at him.

"Is that a maybe?" Brad asked hopefully. Kim smiled slightly for she knew, as much as everyone else, Brad could use a good mark.

"It will probably be a no, Brad. Try studying more often." Mr. Sanders gave a joking wink at the boy.

"Oh man this isn't even a multiple choice!" Someone cried from the back of the room and Brad gave out a loud groan of doom.

"It's easy Bradley." Mr. Sanders rubbed his temples. "You were there, just use your head."

Brad clunked his head against the desktop causing Mr. Sanders to shake his own head. "I hope that works for you buddy but it isn't exactly the brain usage that I was referring."

Kim glanced over the students as small giggles broke through the room. Her eyes paused at Jared and with a sigh, she started to turn away but before she could, she noticed his hands were shaking. Not a little but so much that he could not even hold onto his pencil. She glanced up at his face but he was so absorbed in trying to steady his hands, he did not notice. Quickly Kim glanced over at other students who all seem engrossed in their quiz that no one else seemed to notice. Her eyes darted back to Jared, who now had clasped his hands in a tight fist under the desk. He kept his eyes glued to the paper on top of his desk and his pencil laid broken in half.

His broad shoulders seemed stiffen and she could see his jawbone pop every time he clenched his teeth together. Kim forced herself to look over her quiz and even print her name on top of her paper but she could not keep her eyes off Jared. Through her long lashes, she swept her eyes unnoticed under his desk once more. She could see that Jared hands were barely trembling now. Quickly, so quickly it startled Kim, Jared sat back in his chair, seeming more relaxed that he somewhat back in control of his hands. He stood up and walked to the front of the class to Mr. Sanders. They spoke softly to each other with the desk between them. Whatever it was that Jared had asked of Mr. Sanders, their teacher replied with a nod of his head. Then Jared walked out of the room, leaving his stuff behind.

Kim managed to finish her paper though she was one of the last to hand it to the teacher as Brad was still working on his own.

"Brad." Mr. Sanders' booming voice broke the silence. "Is that a cell phone under your desk?"

Kim, like the other students, glanced over at Brad and notice that in his hands, hidden under the desk, was a black device.

"Uh, no sir." Brad shook his head.

"Then what is it?" Mr. Sanders tilted his head while he held out his hand for the machine.

Brad groaned but walked up to Mr. Sanders and placed the object in the teacher's hand.

Mr. Sanders pressed his lips tightly together as he looked at the black box. "A game boy?" He lifted his eyebrows at Brad who stood with his head down. "You were playing a game while you were supposed to be taking a quiz?"

"Nah." Brad shook his head with a grin, "It's a Nintendo DS."

Mr. Sanders sighed, "Go sit back down Brad."

"Um, will I be getting that back?" Brad asked, "It cost a lot and…"

"Your parents will be getting it back." Mr. Sanders nodded his head towards Brad's seat.

"Oh man, don't do that." Brad almost stomped his foot. "Come on, you're an awesome teacher, give me a break here. They'll go berserk!"

"I am giving you a break. I could do much worse, now go seat down." Mr. Sanders pointed to Brad's chair. "Or…"

"I'm going." Brad shuffled to his desk and class went on but Jared never came back.

* * *

Kim waited after school by her locker for Michelle's interview. The dismissal bell rang and the hall filled up with students all going in the same direction like a large wave of water. Kim over heard Jared's name being mention and atomically zeroed in using her obsession radar skills that blocked out all other conversations.

"I had heard that he got ill." Someone said as they walked passed her.

"He probably just wanted to skip out of the pop quiz in Sanders' class. I've have done that a few times." A different voice spoke out.

"He's been pretty off lately." Another student whispered.

"He is looking good to me." Kim felt her eye twitched on hearing Becky's voice.

"One hell of a growth spurt." A female voice chimed.

"Not normal." Another said.

"I bet his height isn't the only thing that got larger." Becky sang sweetly and Kim suddenly felt the urge to beat her with a bat but instead turned to her wristwatch. She would be missing her bus but Kim was sure Michelle would drive her home. After all this was for her and her newspaper. Kim leaned agaisnst her locker as she waited, her mind drifting back to Jared.

Something wasn't right, he must be ill. Maybe food posion, she had heard that boys would consume anything no matter what molding stage it was in. Maybe Jared was like that. Kim shook her head at the thought. Her Jared was smart enough to know moldy meat or thick milk from fresh food. At the moment, the flu was not upon the them and even if it were, it did not explain the shaking hands. Kim knew Jared was not into any drugs and currently, he was not on any prescription drugs.

* * *

It was pouring down rain when Kim walked out of the school building twenty minutes later. Not a single students' car was visible in the parking lot. Michelle had once again forgotten about Kim and the interview.

"I knew I should have said no." Kim muttered hugging her arms to her body to keep some warmth as she stomped across the wet grass. "Look what being nice got me into. I'm wet and cold and talking to myself."

She walked passed the tribe store on her way home and spotted Emily putting groceries in the trunk of her car. Most of the tribe pitied the girl with the large bear claw scars down her face. It ruined her good looks, they had said. Kim did not pity the girl at all. Emily had always been well like by everyone and people adored her and her second cousin, Leah.

Kim never thought Emily deserved the bear attack, she would never wish that on anyone. The fact was that Kim envied Emily. Even though she was marked with scars, she found someone who loved her and was devoted to her no matter what she looked like. Therefore, even though the tribe pitied the girl, Kim could not help wish that she had some of what Emily had. Of course, that did not mean that Emily had no problems. After all' Sam had been Leah's lover before Emily had attracted his attention. Yet, Leah was one of the most beautiful girls Kim ever seen. Getting a new person to fall in love with her should not be a problem. People, especially guys noticed Leah. They noticed everything about the girl.

Kim put her head down once again as she finished walking pass the little store and onward to her home. As a habit, she took a moment to stop and stare at Jared's home. She saw a warm light glowing from his window and knew he was home, probably tucked away in bed. She had once snuck into his room while he and his parents were on a vacation. She knew that always had three covers on his bed of various blue shades. She knew that there were four pillows on his bed and he never made his bed after he woke up. From the posters on his wall, Kim knew that he was into football, cars and girls that seemed very happy and comfortable in barely wearing anything at all. She knew that his room smelled like pine that was freshly stired from a forest breeze. Kim also knew that she should probably get help before she gets arrested for stalking him. Then again, someone would have to notice her for that.

* * *

Jared laid sprawled on his back with his bed covers haning somewhere below his feet. He given up on trying to ignore the joint aches so instead, he concentrated on what part of his body hurt the most. It was extremely difficult to do this, as there were places on him that he never knew could hurt before today. He also knew he was running a fever, a high fever. Not a high fever that he should be rushed to the emergency room type but the type that should had made him a permitted resident in the local cemetery. His home thermometer read one-hundred and six the last time he check, which was forty minutes ago. He was sure that one-hundred and four was suppose to be the limit.

"The thermometer is junk." He muttered to himself as he carefully pushed his legs off the bed and onto the floor. It took another five minutes to raise his upper half of his body to a sitting position. His room was dark all except for the lantern beside his window. His mother must have let that one when she had checked up on him.

Jared barely remembered his mother slipping into the room. She had wanted to take his temperature but could not find the thermometer to do it and he kept swatting her hand away from his face. When even your skin seems to feel pain, you don't want other people touching you. Of course, his mother could not find the thermometer when he kept it hidden under his pillow. If he was dying, he wanted to die in his own home. Not with needles sticking in him and hovering white smock hospital staff with funny mask that hid their faces.

He slowly rose towards the window and giving it an easy yank upwards with one arm. He had expected the window to give him a slight problem as it always seemed to stick half way going up but today it slid smoothly. Effortlessly.

Jared glanced out the window, letting the cold rain hit his face. It actually felt nice, cooling. If he knew he wasn't dying, he would had slipped onto the roof to enjoy it better but his mother's voice downstairs, which he thought it was odd that she was speaking so loudly, prevented that idea. Finding him outside in the cold while sick would give her a heart attack.

He was about close the curtain when he saw a figure standing on the pathway leading across his home. It was a girl, he was sure of that. Though her clothing was baggy and soggy, she was hugging her arms tightly against herself that he could make out some of her female curves. She looked somewhat familiar but he could not place where he had seen her. Then, as if she knew he had spotted her, she started walking on.

"If I live to see nightfall, I am so out of here and in that rain." Jared spoke to himself as he closed his curtain to shield his eyes from some of the bright, cloudy daylight. If he could just get rid of the headache and the feeling that he was about to explode, Jared was sure he would feel ten percent better, if he was lucky, maybe even fifteen percent.

* * *

Kim quickly jiggled her key into the locked door of her home's kitchen. She pushed the door open, cursing at the key that was sticking in the lock. Once she finally was able to yank the key free, she quickly closed the door so the rainwater would not soak the floor anymore then it already had done.

Kim threw her books off to the side and shed her coat near the door before inspecting the kitchen. There was a note attached the refrigerator but Kim ignored it, knowing that it would say that her father was working late and being Friday, her mother was shopping for groceries.

In the kitchen, Kim started to skim out of her wet clothing and on passing the washroom door; she gave them a toss inside the room towards the washing machine.

From there she landed herself in the shower, allowing the hot water to flow over her. It not only relaxed her from the long power walk home but it melted the cold away as well. She was delighted to find her favourite towel freshly washed by her mother. It was as if her mom knew today was going to be a bad day for her daughter. Kim smiled to herself, quietly thanking her mother as she sat on the chair at her computer in her room. Still wrapped in a towel, Kim typed in body trembles in the search bar.


	4. The coming of a change

Jared blinked back a ray of light shining through his bedroom window. He gave an inward groan as he glanced over at his bedside table where a black clock sat facing him with the time in a bright red numbers.

Night had passed, morning went by while he was asleep and now it was the afternoon. He had made it through the night after all, slept through it as well. Slowly he sat up, testing his strength as he placed his feet on his wooden floor. He felt okay as far as feeling ill went. Not completely well though. He felt different in the inside. Almost alienated, as something had invaded his body somewhere deep inside of him. His muscles still quivered underneath his skin as if it were alive. Jared was not entirely sure how he developed those muscles so fast, though he did work out he cannot say that he actually worked out that much for these kind of results. He supposed it was like how some people could eat with out gaining weight while others had to watch everything they ate. Maybe that was how he was with muscle development; he hardly had to work at it.

He rubbed his right hand in his hair, messing up his just-out-of-bed style even more. With a deep sigh and another spasm of muscles twitching, Jared stood up and stretched his arms up in the air towards his ceiling. Jared smirked as his fingers glazed his high ceiling in his bedroom. Slowly he made his way towards his window, knowing his mother had already been in the room by the curtains hanging open. He jolted the window open smoothly and rested his arms against the windowsill as he looked out over the lawn. His room faced the dirt road, beyond that was a clear view of the forest, and beyond the forest was the sound of the ocean's wave smacking against the village grounds. A fog had rolled in sometime in the early mornings leaving everything wet. Now the fog was reaching up to an overcastting sky, tomorrow it would be back.

Jared turned from his window, rubbing the back of his neck. His parents are probably at his grandmother's small cottage helping her out with her weekend cleaning and yard grooming. Usually he would help as well but with the sudden illness catching him, it was better that he stayed away from his elderly grandmother.

Jared quickly showered and changed into a thin short sleeve shirt and into his jeans. He looked down at his feet more annoyed that once again another pair of jeans were too short. At first, he was amused and proud of his growth spurt. Secretly, every guy wanted to be taller then the other guy. This was not normal though, he knew that. These growth spurts seem to happen almost over night, more so in the past week then before. His muscles still jumped inside his skin as if they needed stretched so he thought that a good hike in the mountains might be what he needed. Surprisingly he did not feel weak from the fever of last night, which he was not completely sure the fever even went away. He still felt warm to his own touch. He grabbed a quick, large sandwich before leaving his house and heading into the woods.

Folks spoke about staying away from the forest because of Emily's attack with a grizzly but Jared felt the forest was calling to him. It was peaceful there. Besides, it was Washington and bears were extremely common and expected. One would just need to keep a sharp eye on their surroundings and know the signs.

Jared made his way up to an old trail that started to become over run with vines and roots. If he remembered correctly, the path should twist around the mountain's side before going southbound into a valley. That is where the river starts to turn wild, right before the rapids.

He could pick up the smell of the water and that confused him, as he was sure it was a few more miles until he reached the river. Still the smell was undeniable; he smelled the river as if he were only a few meters from its bank.

Jared felt eyes watching him and glanced behind his shoulder to scan the thick forest behind him. He titled his head and listen to the forest, to listen to the normal sounds. Then a twig broke then another and a flock of birds swam out from the trees and into the sky. Jared blinked back the ray of sunlight that filtered into the branches and spotted a form of a person staring back at him outlined by the sun.

"Are you heading for the river?" The tall figure came out of the tree lines and down the small slope, Jared stood in.

"Yeah, looks like it." Jared breathed easier on recognizing Sam's face.

Recently, Sam was the talk of the village. He had disappeared for a few weeks but no one knew where and Sam really didn't speak about it. He was supposed to be heading off to college, the elders were proud that another young tribe member was going off for educational purposes. After the disappearance, the leaders were speaking a different tune. They spoke how it was a better idea that Sam would remain inside the village. That caught a lot of the tribe's kids attention, after all the lectures about bettering themselves. To everyone else but the leaders, Sam acted strange. Though he seem to further himself from the community, he gave the impression that he was more apart of it then he had ever been.

Then, Emily and the bear attack happened. No one was sure how it happened but somehow Sam was there with her and that brought them together. Which would not have been a bad thing if it wasn't for the fact that Sam was planning a future with Leigh, Emily's second cousin.

"Are you heading in that direction too?" Jared asked of the older boy.

"Just to do some fishing, that's all." Sam gave a small grin as he tugged at his fishing pole. "What about you?"

Jared shook his head and started walking towards the river with Sam following him. "I just needed to breath." Jared gave a weak grin.

"Is there trouble at home?" Sam asked with a raise of his eyebrows. "Forget it, isn't any of my business."

"No, nothing to do with home." Jared bit his lower lip before adding, "Well not like that. I had not been feeling well and I felt trap being in my room all day. I just needed a break from the enclosure."

"Ah." Sam quickly ducked under a low branch. "My grandmother once said that fresh air makes a person breath better. Though, I don't think that applies to every case."

"No." Jared glanced at Sam's fishing gear. "You have two poles, is ah, Emily joining you?"

"Nope." Sam pushed the fishing pole into Jared's chest, "Just had a feeling to bring two."

Jared grinned at the old pole. "Can't grantee that I can catch anything so I hope you have other options for dinner. It's been awhile since I had been fishing." Jared pressed passed Sam on spotting the river's bend.

Sam stopped short with a frown as he watched Jared make it down a rocky incline and towards the river. The signs were all there, everything that he went through but never realised until he looked back on it. The elders were right when they told him about Jared's changes. There was no way Sam could let Jared go through this alone.


	5. For happinie93

My apologies to those who had read and I have not updated. I have four others pseudonym or pennames for fan fiction. Seriously, it has become an illness with me! I have pseudonym syndrome or something. Sometimes I go into writers block for many months and I am reading stories - many stories in many different areas. Currently I am writing for a very serious fan fiction and those readers do not fool around. No mistakes shall be over looked. New Moons fans are more forgiving (no stones tossing!) However, I am no longer a fan of New Moon…I never really liked the main characters but the sub-characters are awesome, as they seem to have more of a perplex history or obstacles. With that being said, I throw a warning - a new chapter starts but I no longer make promises on when I update nor an explanation on my long disappearances ( I just might be reading one of your stories!) So with out further notes and many mistake I give you the next chapter:

* * *

Jared tossed his line into the water for the third time that day. The fishing pastime was relaxing at first, even though he hadn't caught anything. Yet, some where underneath that clear cold water was a rock magnet that lured his bait underneath its belly. He would pull, the rock would tug and the line would break.

It was funny the first three times. The fourth, he no longer laughed but shrugged it off. The fifth, a shake of his dark head. The sixth, a glare towards Sam who was easily casting and catching with a huge grin on his face. The seventh a growl came after the snap of the line. The eighth, another growl and a hand through his thick hair. The ninth a growlish yell at Sam, stating it wasn't funny. The tenth time it happen, Jared's hands began to tremble slightly and he took a few breaths. He found that to help until Sam looked over once again with a large fish dangling at the end of his line.

Jared grind his teeth, felt the handle of the pole start to break in his tight grasp. He didn't understand why he was getting so upset about fishing. This wasn't like him. He was a laid back person. Rolling with the fun of laughter but today, in a calm early afternoon he was here getting pissed about something as simple as fishing.

"Jared, you're okay." It wasn't a question that came from Sam's lips but more of a statement. Sam witness Jared's pole breaking in the boy's grasp so he set his own poll down slowly, with great caution. His eyes stayed on Jared the whole time.

Jared looked down at his own hands that were now shaking madly. He couldn't control them. The trembling was now spreading, moving up his shoulders. It slid up his arms, shoulder and race across his back and chest. His muscles came alive like that of a serpent, slithering under his skin. Jared hunched over as his stomach began to arrange differently in his body.

"It's okay Jared." Sam slowly walked towards the younger boy, his hands in front of him as if he was approaching an aggressive dog. "It's okay."

Jared wanted Sam to stay away but at the same time, he didn't want to be left alone. He didn't know what was happening to him. He felt his skin tearing away, his whole being becoming larger, and in an instant he was something different.

He looked down at the ground, at the paws that were once his hands. Panic ruled his emotion. His wolfish eyes found the surface of the water in which he notice the canine facial features that now stared back at him. Slowly he backed away from the water, throwing his head side to side. 'This isn't happening.' He thought to himself.

'Jared.' Sam's thoughts interrupted his and the younger wolf eyes grew as his looked over at a black wolf that stood so close to him.

'Sam?' Jared's head titled. 'Was that really Sam? That huge black wolf, really belong to Sam?'

'It's me.' Sam confirmed, taking a small step closer to Jared but stopped when the other wolf took a step back.

'What's going on? What's happen to me? What happen to you?' Jared questions came all at once. 'What am I? How do I get back to myself?'

'Calming down helps a lot.' Sam glanced at the water's edge, looking at the two wolves that they have become. 'It's a long story that goes back even longer.'

In the clothes Sam had loaned him, Jared walked slowly back to his home. It was a long walk, one that he did alone and was grateful for that. He had a lot to chew on. So many thoughts of what happen to him, how it happened, why it was happening. The emotions that he was dealing with were just as overwhelming. He of course was terrified. The story of Sam and Emily, could he do that? Could he do that to his mother or father? Was he even safe to be around? Sam offered reassurance and afterwards, Emily did so as well. Still there was always, what if's.

Then there was anger that it was happening. He didn't have a choice. He wasn't asked if he wanted to protect the tribe. Of course he would do what he could to protect those he could, he wasn't heartless but this job was a life time comment now. He had dreams of leaving the little village behind, to go and do something in the bigger towns. Now his path was made for him with out his consent.

Appreciation, he felt that too. For Sam. For being there when he needed someone. For being patient even through Jared's mind was racing with a million questions from silver bullets to knowing he would out live most of his friends, his family, and the sorrow that came with that.

Honor and pride. Yeah, though he didn't want to admit it yet he felt it. He was a blood line of something great. A blood line for importance. A direct blood line of an ancient time. Like a knight. A crusader. A warrior. Sam didn't waste anytime in teaching him how to track their pray. What to look for, what to smell, how to react. Sam made it clear that he needed help. Sam needed him. Yes, there was honor and pride in that.

Ah, there was excitement too. A thrill. He could run faster then any car he ever driven. Cliff dive at an elevated height kicked an sensation in his blood that made him fell naturally high. The idea that he could turn into a supernatural creature, that he was more then just a man was an ecstasy. Like becoming a super hero. That's what he was, a super hero. A super hero that was covered in fur.

He stopped at the drive way of his house. Home, he was finally home. He could smell his mom's cooking from where he stood and he was hungry like a wolf. With a bright smile, he jogged the short distant to his home.

Kim glanced once more at the chair that was usually empty, absent from Jared. He had been on leave of albescence for several weeks now. At home, his bedroom light was always off. Rumors started to circulate about his sickness equaling death. Teachers still believed him to be alive as they asked for volunteers to drop his homework assignments off every other day. Different students would eagerly rase their hand for the job, each hoping to glimpse the disappearing boy. The students would come back, disappointed when Jared's father or mother answered the door and took the work. They of course say that their son was doing well and would be back to school soon.

That's when talk about his parents sudden madness spread through the small school. They killed him, hid the Jared's poor lifeless body in the woods for a bear to digest. It was probably poison, someone said on having experience the mother's cooking first hand.

Becky would come to the rescue with evidence of his survival, of her and Jared's text messages. She would read them out loud, just to let everyone know how close she was to Jared. He was fine, contagious and best for everyone if he stayed away from them for awhile until he recovers was his usually messages. Once in awhile he would say he missed her too. It was his way of saying he cared for her, Becky would insists.

Today was different though. Today Jared was sitting in his seat. People had to take a double look. New people were rare as this was a tribal school. Jared looked like Jared but he looked completely different. His hair was freshly cut short, which suited him. By his appearance, no one would have known he had been sick at all. He seemed to be alert and he had a freshness about him that kept people glancing over at him.

He was Jared but different from the boy they knew a few weeks ago. He returned smiles, exchanged small talk, laughed with his friends but to Kim, he seemed to be separated by something more superior. Like a prince among the villagers. He wasn't haulty but just different. Confident. Very confident.

Becky's voice purred over Jared. Running her hand through his cut hair, saying she liked it. She flirted boldly to him and the other guys exchanged knowing glances with each other or eye rolls and smirks.

Once the teacher walked in, the class settled down and lesson begun. Jared could still hear people whisper softly; he could make out what they were saying clearly. It was about his appearance. He looked good, they said. He looked like he was on drugs, another would say. A part of him was upset by this, after all these were the people he was chosen to protect. He was saving their lives and they didn't even know it. A little respect would be nice. Atlas, they were also naïve. Not knowing what the madness that truly hid in the shadows. Watching them. Lurking behind trees. 'Monsters are real, people.' He thought.

He glanced at the faces around him on his left. Turned his head to the right to look at the faces on that side of his shoulder. It was good thing he had big shoulders now, a lot of weight to carry was these people's lives. His eyes stop scanning the room and zeroed on a girl who stared back at him. She blinked her long lashes twice before looking down. It was too late. He saw her watching him and something happened. It was like love at first sight.

Her hair was long, smooth and dark. Just like all the other girls. Her eyes were brown, so much like the other girls in the classroom. Her skin was russet color, like many others. She was different though. Her cheeks tinted a little when he glanced her way. Her skin seem to glow under the light. Her lashes were long and think as they fringed her eyes giving her a innocent appearance. Yet her eyes seem to hold some kind of sadness within, like a wounded soul that he wanted to protect, to shield. While most girls seem proud of their long, lustrous hair and often flipped the long pieces over their shoulder. This girl didn't. She seemed to use her hair as a shield to hide her common face. Her lips were full and wide and made Jared think things he shouldn't be when sitting in a class full of other student. He cleared his throat and turned his attention back towards the teacher.

Jared made it through the day and at times it seemed like a challenged. He couldn't sit still. He wanted to be outdoors. To be in the forest. Running with unlimited speed through the creeks and the hills. It didn't matter if he was on a chase, just as long as he was there and not here at school. Yet, Sam was forceful about attending school. Plus, there was another boy Sam was concern about. One that could be just like them. Another brother of the blood line. Paul. Jared had to look after Paul, who was known as a bad ass. Jared and Paul usually didn't cross paths but that would be changing. Sam demanded it.

Once he walked out of the last class, he was immediately surrounded by his peers. They offered a chance to get caught up after school but Jared turned them down. He had plans after school. He used too much homework as an excuse but the real plans were with Sam.

He didn't take his car to school that day. He enjoyed the walk or run, which he could do much faster then his car.

Once outside he took a deep breath, enjoyed the openness around him. To his delight, the sad looking girl was just a few paces in front of him. She walked slowly with her arms around her books, hugging them close. Her head was down, eyes towards her feet as she walked forward.

Jared glanced around a bit and swallowed nervously. He had to talk to her but he felt like he just swallowed a fur rug. He cleared his throat, breathed on his hands for hoping he didn't have bad breath and with a few deep breaths and long strides, he caught up to her.

"Um, hi." Jared gave her a little finger wave as he came to her side. She jumped back from being started out of her dream world. She quickly glanced around to see if people were watching, if they were on camera or if she was center of a Becky joke. She saw no one.

"Looking for someone?" Jared's heart dropped. Maybe she had a boyfriend. What then? He probably could drown the guy. Maybe grind him up or something. Then this girl would be sad and Jared really didn't want to be the cause of her sadness.

"N-no." The girl quickly shook her head, quickened her strides and once again looked down at her feet. She seemed to be hugging her books even tighter.

"Then you don't mind if I walk with you? Maybe to your house." Jared gave her his best smile. He would love to know where she lived. Just to keep an extra eye on her. He reached out and tugged one her red hooded jacket. "Might be big bad wolf lurking around somewhere. Might need me for protection."

Kim opened her mouth but no words came out. She couldn't breath. Jared was asking to walk her home. Jared. The guy she had been dreaming about since the sandbox era. The guy the girls wanted.

"I don't bite, cross my heart promise." Jared felt his heart thumping faster and had to take a few breaths to calm down. It would hurt so much if she said no.

"A-are you sure?" Kim finally asked, nervously. Why was he talking to her? This had to be a joke. Maybe he and Becky had started to fight and he was trying to get Becky jealous. Using Kim. "I mean, what about Becky?"

"Becky had a ride home. She'll be fine. You're the one walking." Jared licked his bottom lip. Why was this so hard?

"Won't she get mad?' Kim stopped walking; now thinking that maybe she wouldn't be upset if Jared used her. Great, the women of the world must be tsking her about now.

"For what?" Jared expression showed a bit of puzzlement that Kim would drool on her pillow about later in the night. It was such an adorable expression.

"But you two are dating." Kim pointed out.

"We're not dating. Becky is just, a friend. I mean yeah, we dated awhile back but you know, it didn't work out. Nothing changed so I don't see how it would work out now and you know, we are just walking home from school. It's not like I'm asking for anything else." Jared grinded his teeth. He was rambling like this was the first time he ever spoken to a girl before.

"Well, you're house is on the way to mine." Kim shrugged her shoulders. They mind as well walk together, there was only one path.

"I'd like to walk you to your house, um…" Jared glanced down at a folder in her arms. Printed with flora doodles was her name. "Kim."

Kim noticed his hesitant with her name, saw his eyes find her name on her folder but didn't say anything. It hurt, all that time together in school and he couldn't remember her name.

Jared wanted to kick himself. He should have known her name first. There was no excuse for that blunder. It will never happen again though. Her name is etched into his heart.

"So Kim." He kicked at a pine cone that lay in their path. It soared a great distance, he needed to watch that. "What do you like to do? Like a pastime?"

"I um, read. I read a lot." Kim gave him a small smile. She wished she could say something more exciting then just reading.

"Just reading? Nothing else?" Jared looked skeptical. "Surely there is something more then reading."

"Well…" She gave him a shrug. She could say that she stalked him endlessly but he might take it the wrong way. Or maybe it would be the right way which is just as scary as the wrong way. "I um, like to take pictures."

"Yeah? Of what?" Jared closed in on her, walking closer to her so that his arm brushed against her own. . "My grandmother had an interest in photography in her younger years. She took pictures of everything. Season changing, the lake freezing and unthawing, stuff like that. The ages of her life, I guess. Just looking at the pictures, you see she went through so much. The depression, the war, first time she used the microwave. You know, maybe you'd like to see them sometime. Bring your photos to her. She loves visitors and maybe be able to give you some tips."

Kim laughed at the idea and to Jared it was the sweetest laugh he ever heard. "I'm afraid your grandmother might be appalled by my um.. unprofessional snap shots."

Jared shrugged, throwing the comment off. "Everyone starts somewhere."

They walked in silence for awhile, Kim unsure of what to say to Jared to keep him interested in walking home with her. Jared, trying to think of anything that could get him more time with her.

"I've seen you walking home before." Jared comment after awhile. "A day I went home early from, well being sick and all. It was raining and you were staring up at my house."

Kim bit her bottom lip and Jared gave a mental growl. He would love to feel those lips against his own, or well, anywhere actually. "I um.." Kim fluttered for an answer. Spying on him would be incorrect way of answering even if it were the truth. "Like your house. You're mother has the prettiest garden."

'She likes flowers.' Jared red flagged it in his mind. "Would you like to see it?"

"Wha-" Kim stumbled.

"It's nice out for once." Jared looked up at the bright sun filled sky. "Beautiful day in fact. I can show you her garden. My pathetic birdhouse I made for her when I was seven."

Kim laughed at the face Jared made.

"Seriously, Kim. It's a wreck. Bird's only use it for an outhouse, I swear." Jared smiled as she laughed louder, no longer trying to hide it. To him, she seemed to be relaxing a little more. She seemed to be shining even. A glow about her or maybe the sun was too bright. "Come on." He put an arm around her shoulder to steer her to his house. He would have grabbed her hand but she hadn't stop hugging those books.

Kim thought she would just drop dead right there. Jared has his arm around her.


End file.
